One to Watch

Lim Cheol Hee

Lim Cheol Hee lives and works in Daegu, South Korea. He received his BFA in Western Painting and later his Master’s degree in Art Education from Keimyung University. Primarily a portraitist, he works with vivid colors and deliberately blurs out the features of his subjects, so that perhaps only a sliver of a face–an eye, a nose–is discernible beneath his energetic brushstrokes. His intention is not to convey an accurate representation of the sitter, but rather to present to the viewer a reflection of the subject’s inner consciousness. He has exhibited both in South Korea and the United States.

What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
The subject in my work is the emotion of human beings. This is not only for human feelings but also a change of feelings in a special situation. Humans think they are strange when the feelings of familiarity and anxiety become mixed emotions.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Prefer to work with music or in silence?
I love to listen to music when I work. I can concentrate better on working when I listen to music. Moreover, I love all kinds of music.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
I really want to have Three Studies of Lucian Freud, painted by Francis Bacon. His pictures earn my respect and touch my heart.

Who are your favorite writers?
My favorite writer is Dostoevsky. When I read Prestupleniye I nakazaniye, I thought he described human’s natural psychology very well.